USGA to Honor Payne Stewart With 2014 Bob Jones Award

Presentation to Family Planned for 2014 U.S. Open Championship Week

By
USGAFebruary 7, 2014

The USGA's Tom O'Toole Jr. (left) and Mike Davis (right) announced Payne Stewart as the 2014 Bob Jones Award recipient in front of his statue at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, where he won the 1999 U.S. Open.

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – As
the game's governing body committed to a longtime mission of preserving,
promoting and celebrating the very best traditions and characteristics of the
game, the United States Golf Association today announced the late Payne
Stewart as the recipient of the 2014 Bob Jones Award. Stewart will be honored
during a public ceremony as part of the festivities surrounding the 2014 U.S.
Open Championship.

Presented
annually since 1955, the Bob Jones Award is the USGA’s highest honor. It recognizes
an individual who demonstrates the spirit, personal character and respect for the
game exhibited by Jones, winner of nine USGA championships. Previous recipients
of the award include many of golf’s finest champions like Francis Ouimet
(1955), Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1957), Patty Berg (1963), Arnold Palmer
(1971), Jack Nicklaus (1975), Ben Hogan (1976), Nancy Lopez (1998), Annika Sorenstam
(2012) and Davis Love III (2013), as well as others who have contributed to the
fabric of the game in other ways, including Richard S. Tufts (1967), Joseph C.
Dey Jr. (1977), Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (1978), P.J. Boatwright Jr. (1993) and
President George H.W. Bush (2008).

Known for his passion for golf, sportsmanship and philanthropy,
Stewart won 11 professional events, including three major championships, during
an 18-year PGA Tour career that was cut short by a fatal airplane accident in
1999, four months after his second U.S. Open victory. Stewart’s wife,
Tracey, and their children, Chelsea and Aaron, will be presented with the USGA’s
Bob Jones Award at a public ceremony in the Village of Pinehurst during U.S.
Open week on Tuesday, June 10, at 5 p.m. EDT.

“We are so pleased, and know that Payne would
be extremely honored and humbled to be recognized with the prestigious Bob
Jones Award,” said Tracey Stewart. “Payne loved the game of golf and sought to
live out and promote the same principles of high character, sportsmanship and
passion that Bob Jones embodied. We are grateful to the USGA for honoring Payne
in such a wonderful manner.”

Stewart’s
18-foot par putt on the 72nd hole of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst provided
one of the championship’s most dramatic finishes. The celebratory moment is
memorialized with a bronze statue of Stewart near the 18th green of Pinehurst
No. 2.

“Payne’s
legacy continues to shine as an inspiration to players of all ages,” said Thomas
J. O’Toole Jr., incoming USGA president. “His spirit and gracious attitude left
an indelible mark on everyone who surrounded him. His presence can still be
felt by players who were fortunate enough to play with him and by the junior
golfers that his Payne Stewart Foundation continues to support.”

“Payne’s
larger-than-life personality made him one of the most likable players by peers
and fans alike,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “Payne’s strength of
character showed through clearly in victory and defeat, which he personally
experienced in the U.S. Open. It is only fitting that we will make the
presentation of this award to a two-time champion at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst
in June for players and fans to enjoy.”

“Payne
was one of the most engaging and dynamic players that I had the fortune to play
with,” said Peter Jacobsen, a USGA and PGA Tour champion and one of Stewart’s
closest friends. “He was an intense competitor, but after the last putt dropped,
he was warm and supportive, win or lose. That is the definition of
sportsmanship and why I am glad to see the USGA honor Payne with the Bob Jones
Award.”

Off the course, Stewart donated his time and financial assistance
to charitable efforts that promoted the game and supported those in need. His legacy lives on in
the Payne Stewart Foundation, formed by Payne and Tracey to teach their
children about giving back to the community. The Payne Stewart Foundation
supports charities that focus on children in need, as well as the development
of the game of golf. Since 2007, the foundation has co-sponsored the American
Junior Golf Association’s Payne Stewart Junior
Championship.

“Payne Stewart
personified the ideals of character, charity and sportsmanship, and is a worthy
recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in the backyard of his greatest
triumph,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Because of the virtues he
extolled, the annual Payne Stewart Award was introduced by the PGA Tour in 2000
to pay tribute, carry on his spirit and serve as a reminder of just how special
he was to us all. We are thrilled to see Payne receiving further recognition
for his contributions, both on and off the golf course.”

As
the winner of the 1989 PGA Championship and the 1991 and 1999 U.S. Open championships,
Stewart is one of only eight players who have won at least two U.S. Opens and a
PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.

The USGA and Chevron have committed to using the game of golf to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
This commitment has led to the creation of extensive golf-focused STEM teaching tools, and has resulted in charitable contributions to support golf-related
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Rolex has been a longtime supporter of the USGA and salutes the sportsmanship and great traditions unique to the game. This support includes the Rules of Golf where Rolex has partnered with the USGA to ensure golfers understand and appreciate the game.

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IBM provides the information technology to develop and host the U.S. Open’s official website, www.usopen.com, as well as the mobile apps and scoring systems for the three U.S. Open championships. These real-time technology solutions provide an enhanced experience for fans following the championship onsite and online.

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Lexus

Lexus is committed to partnering with the USGA to deliver a best-in-class experience for the world’s best golfers by providing a fleet of courtesy luxury vehicles for all USGA Championships.

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